Tape feed control



Nov; 3, 1942. R, -ATTI TAPE FEED CONTROL Fild Aug. 3, 1940 INVEN TOR w w A m fl m M A m n Patented Nov. 3, 1942 Raphael Atti, Cliffside Park, N. J., assignor to News Projection Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,975

Claims.

This invention relates to narrow tape projection machines in general and more especially to an improved means for drawing narrow tape across the light aperture of a projection machine such as' a stock quotation or news projection machine.

Among the objects of the present invention it is aimed to provide an improved tape pulling mechanism for drawing a narrow ticker tape across the light aperture of a projecting machine including a continuously operating motor, a tape pulling roller, and a slip clutch control transmission between the tape pulling roller and motor operativel'y associated with a pressure control.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the present invention will appear from the sub-joined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a projection machine equipped according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental elevation of the tape puller control;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the tape puller; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation of end of control lever.

In the embodiment shown, there is provided a ticker I illustrative of the narrow tape high speed type such as the conventional Western stock ticker today extensively used differs from the Teletype narrow tape printer primarily in that the stock printer prints longitudinally of the narrow tape two parallel lines of information, one line devoted to symbols indicative of the stock to be identified and composed of letters, and the other of numerals indicative of the price to be reported, while the Teletype printer merely prints one line of news items longitudinally of the narrow tape. With these machines, provision is made for pushing or drawing the tape T through the printer which sometimes partakes of an advance movement immediately before printing, sometimes immediately after printing, sometimes contemporaneously with the impressions being formed on the tape,

feed that starts and stops gradually, as distinguished from a tape feed that starts and stops suddenly and jerkily, and by use of a continuously operating electric motor.

From the ticker I', the tape T initially'passes under the finger 2 at one end of the lever 3 which in the present instance has its other end extending into the split sleeve 4 of the bracket 5 having a bearing 6 journaled on the pin I extending from the wall 8 of the housing Q. Mounted on the bearing 6 there is provided the enlargement H] which in the present instance has secured thereon the yieldable shoe which may be composed of spring steel, phosphorbronze, or the like, and has a cushioned friction= creating layer or coating [2 preferably composed of ground cork, felt'or the like, clearance being 2 provided between the main part of the blade II and the enlargement'lll to enable the blade or shoe I I to flex inward upon being pressed into engagement with the peripheral face 43 of the drum It. This shoe II in the present instance is positioned to cooperate with the annular: outer peripheral face l3 of the brake drum M mounted on the shaft I5 journaled and extending from the-wall 8; of the housing 9.

The enlargement I0 is angularly adjustable on the bearing 6 by the set screws 56. When secured in place on the bearing 6 by the set screws I6, the lever 3, sleeve 4, bracket 5, bearing 6, enlargement H! and yieldable shoe I I, constitute in the present instance and function as parts of one and the same lever with its fulcrum, the pin I.

This so formed lever is bent at E6! and I! so that the finger 2 may be positioned between the ticker I and the (projector It with the bend I'I directly above the finger 2 and the bend I6! above and beyond. the discharge end of the light aperture 59 of the projector t8.

The projector I8 is of the type illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 2,075,512 originally filed on February 18,1932, in the name of August D.'Eitzen, and has a main lamp housin 26 from which the light is directed to the extension 2I below the light aperture I9 and then directed upwardly by an angle mirror through the condenser 22 up to and through the objective lens unit in the housing 23 supported by the bracket 24 secured to the upper end of the lamp housing 26. As the light passes up through the condensor 22 and the tape T extending across the same, it will direct an image impressed light beam through the objective lens unit in the housing 23 onto a screen 25 by means of deflectors, in the present instance first striking the mirror 26 and then being deflected onto the mirror 21 and in turn deflected by the mirror 21 onto the rear face of the translucent screen 25;

handle 68 to facilitate withdrawing the pressure roller 64 from engagement with the tape T with a Preferably the tape T engages the red 28 at the entrance of the light aperture before crossing the condensing lens 22 and engages the rod.

29 at the discharge end before passing down to the idler 36 and then into engagement with the tape puller 3| after which it passes up into engagement with the idler 32 and then initially engases the hub of the rewind reel 33 and is wound up on the rewind reel.

The idlers 36 and 32 are mounted upon the stub shafts 34 and 35 extending from the wall 36 of the housing 9. The tape puller 3| is fixed on the shaft 31 journaled in the walls 8 and 36 of the housing 9. The tape puller 3| in turn is drivingly connected to the brake drum I 3, the shaft 31 having fixedly mounted thereon the pinion 38 which is in mesh with the spur gear 39 fixed on the shaft I5 on which the drum I3 is fixedly mounted.

The shaft 31 also has fixedly mounted thereon the worm Wheel 46 and the sheave 4| which is drivingly connected by the spring 42 to the sheave 43 fixedly mounted on the shaft 44 of the rewind reel 33.

The worm wheel 46 in turn is drivingly connected to the electric motor 45 constituting the driving source by the yieldable slippage device now to be described. The shaft 46 of the motor 45 has mounted thereon the sheave 4'! which is drivingly connected to the sheave 48 by a belt, such as the spring belt 49, which sheave 48 in turn is fixedly mounted on the shaft 56 which, see

Fig. 2, is journaled. in the bearings formed in the end walls 5| and 52 of the housing 9. On the shaft 56, there is slidably mounted the short worm 53 in mesh with the worm wheel 46. This worm 53 has a diminished end 54 to receive the chambered portion 55 of the sleeve 56 having a clutch disk 51 frictionally to cooperate with the clutch disk 58 on the sleeve 59 pinned to the shaft 56 adjacent to the end wall 5|. The other end of the worm 53 engages the coil spring '66 mounted on the shaft 56 between the worm 53 and the thrust bearing unit 6| in engagement with one end of the bushing 62 pinned to the shaft 56, the other end of which unit 6| engages with a second thrust bearing unit 63 disposed between the bushing 62 and the endwall 52.

Preferably, as shown, the sleeve 59 is slightly spaced from the end wall 5| or else a thrust bearing unit such as the units 6| and 63 is also interposed between the end wall 5| and the sleeve 59. Although as shown, due to the position of the idlers 36 and 3| relative to the tape puller 32, the tape T is caused to engage at least 180 degrees of the periphery of the tape puller 32 in the interest of an effective driving engagement, a pressure roller 64 is provided further to maintain the tape T in driving engagement with the tape view, as an instance, to thread the tape T on the roller 32.

From the drawing, it will appear that the clutch disks 51 and 58 are annular and have a yieldable clutching material between them, such for instance as felt or the like. It will also be noted that the extension 54 of the worm 53 has a driving fit with the chambered portion 55 of the sleeve 56, and that the chambered portion 55 is chamfered or recessed as it approaches the teeth of the worm 53 to clear the teeth of the worm wheel 46.

From the foregoing, it will appear that when the ticker starts operating, the finger 2 will descend with the formation of a loop in the tape T between the ticker I and the light aperture I9, thereby to cause the ground cork layer I2 of the spring II on the enlargement I6 to clear the brake drum I4 and permit the brake drum I4 to rotate, thereby in turn to permit the drive shaft 56 through the worm 53 to rotate the worm wheel 46 in turn to actuate the shaft 31 and thereby the tape pulling roller 32. The motor 45 continuously operates thereby in turn continuously to rotate the shaft 56. The spring 66 on the shaft 56 normally positions the worm 53 in mesh with the Worm wheel 46 so that when the brake drum I4 is free, the worm 53 through the clutching engagement effected by the clutch disks 5'! and 58, will be rotated with the shaft 56 in turn to rotate the worm wheel 46; When the ticker I stops, as a result of which no further supply of tape T will be advanced to the light aperture IS, the loop under the finger 2 will gradually disappear, thereby raising the lever 3 about its fulcrum 1 until the layer I2 on the spring finger II will engage the brake drum I4 increasing its pressure on the brake drum I4, gradually retarding the same, until it finally brings the brake drum I4 to rest. When the brake drum I4 is so brought to rest through the gears 39 and 38, the shaft 31 and the pulley 32 will be brought to rest. Simultaneously the worm wheel 46 will be brought to rest. Then, due to the rotation urge transmitted by the shaft 56 on the Worm 53, the worm 53 due to its engagement with the worm wheel 46, will move longitudinally against the pressure of the spring 66 to disengage the clutch disks 5'! and 58 from one another when this clutching drive will be interrupted. Due to the spring 66, however, and the rotative drag between the shaft 56 and the worm 53, the moment that the brake drum I4 is released, the sleeve 56 attached to the worm 53 will immedi ately have its clutch disk 51 brought into driving engagement with the clutch disk 58. While as aforesaid, a thrust bearing unit between the sleeve 59 and the end wall 5| may be interposed when it is desired to position the sleeve 59 directly adjacent to the end wall 5|, under ordinary circumstances this is unnecessary, since the driving torque transmitted to the worm 53 by the shaft 56, will only create a thrust in the direction of the end Wall 52 so that bearing units 83 and 6!, positioned as illustrated in Fig. 2, should ordinarily be sufiicient.

It is here also to be noted that applicant may dispense with the ordinary finger for dissipating the vibrations transmitted to the tape, which finger is normally positioned at the entrance end of the light aperture l9, due to the fact that it uses the long lever 3 extending from the tape pulling unit all the way across the light aperture [8 to the space between the ticker l and the light aperture [8. With such a long arm, it has been found that the velocity of the free end 2 of the lever 3 practically corresponds to the formation of the loop by the ticker I so that as quickly as the loo-p is formed, the finger 2 will follow the same to prevent the transmission of any jerks or jars by this intermittent feed of the ticker I to the tape T at the light aperture 19.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tape control mechanism for a rotatable tape puller adapted to pull a tape across a light aperture, the tape puller including a continuously running drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a slip drive gearing operatively associating said drive shaft with said driven shaft, the control including a brake drum operatively associated with said driven shaft and having a cylindrical brake shoe receiving surface, and a pivotally mounted lever having the end of one arm engaging a tape and responsive to deflections therein as the tape is advanced or not and a yieldable blade fixed at the end of its other arm disposed frictionally to engage the cylindrical surface of said brake drum to interrupt the operation thereof and thereby in turn to interrupt the operation of said driven shaft.

2. In a tape control mechanism for a rotatable tape puller adapted to pull a tape across a light aperture, the tape puller including a continuously running drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a slip drive gearing operatively associating said drive shaft with said driven shaft, the control including a brake drum operatively associated with said driven shaft and having a cylindrical brake shoe receiving surface, and a pivotally mounted lever having the end of one arm engaging a tape and responsive to deflections therein as the tape is advanced or not and a yieldable metal plate fixed at the end of its other arm with a ground cork facing disposed frictionally to engage the cylindrical surface of said brake drum to interrupt the operation thereof and thereby in turn to interrupt the operation of said driven shaft,

3. In a tape control mechanism for a rotatable tape puller adapted to pull a tape across a light aperture, the tape puller including a continuously running drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a slip drive gearing operatively associating said drive shaft with said driven shaft, the control including a brake drum operatively associated with said driven shaft and having a cylindrical brake shoe receiving surface, and a pivotally mounted lever having the end of one arm engaging a tape and responsive to deflections therein as the tape is advanced or not and a steel plate fixed at the end of its other arm with a yieldable layer formed on said plate and disposed frictionally to engage the cylindrical surface of said brake drum to interrupt the operation thereof and in turn to interrupt the operation of said driven shaft.

4. In a tape control mechanism for a rotatable tape puller adapted to pull a tape across a light aperture, the tape puller including a continuously running drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a slip drive gearing operatively associating said drive shaft with said driven shaft, the control including a rotatable brake device drivingly connected to said driven shaft and having a brake shoe receiving surface, and a pivotally mounted lever having the end of one arm engaging a tape and responsive to deflections therein as the tape is advanced or not and a yieldable metal blade fixed at the end of its other arm with a cushioning coating formed on said blade and disposed frictionally to engage the brake shoe receiving surface of said brake device to interrupt the operation thereof and in turn to interrupt the operation of said driven shaft.

5. In a tape control mechanism for a rotatable tape puller adapted to pull a tape across, a light aperture, the tape puller including a continuously running drive shaft, a driven shaft, and a slip drive gearing operatively associatingsaid drive shaft with said driven shaft, the control including a brake drum operatively associated with said driven shaft and having a cylindrical brake shoe receiving surface, a pivot pin, a lever having a cylindrical bearing at one end rotatably mounted on said pin, the other end of said lever engaging a tape and responsive to deflections therein as the tape is advanced or not, an enlargement angularly adjustable on said bearing, a yieldable blade fixed to said enlargement at one end but with its remaining parts spaced from said enlargement to enable the same to flex toward said enlargement, said enlargement being angularly adjustable on said bearing to enable said blade frictionally to engage the cylindrical surface of said brake drum in turn to interrupt the operation thereof and thereby in turn to interrupt the operation of the driven shaft when said other end of said lever is actuated in response to a deflection in the tape.

RAPHAEL ATTI. 

